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Kristol is a regular contributor to Fox News, which is the mouthpiece for the PNAC. A particular concern of the PNAC is the domination of the Middle East for the benefit of the U.S. It was also interesting to note that the venue for Fakhravar's speech, the Discovery Institute, is an avid advocate of intelligent design. So it seems that the same force that was behind regime change in Iraq is at it again. Woe to the American people if they, again, have their way.

It's time now to avert the 'October surprise' Stories in Newsweek and from other sources have reported that the Eisenhower (nuclear aircraft carrier and its battle group) is at "ready to deploy" status to head to the Mediterranean for the purpose of setting up a naval blockade against Iran.

Yet we hear nothing from the Democratic side of Congress either in protest or to educate the public about what's going on. Rather than let this insanity move forward to an ultimate "October surprise" maybe our Democratic leaders should wake up and do something about it.

Are they so certain of regaining power in the mid-term elections that they think they can wait until January to stop the administration before it starts a third war in the Mideast and assures the defeat of U.S. troops and the miniscule respect we still have in the international community? The time to stand up to the administration is now.

Estate tax is not unreasonable I have noticed the frequent half-page ads from the Committee to Abolish WA State Estate Tax and have wondered who was behind them, especially when they say "The Government Took All My Savings" and "It's your money."

The state Revenue Department projects that in 2006 there will be 213 taxable estates in Washington and 220 in 2007. With 213 estates being taxed in 2006, I find it hard to believe that any could say, "the government took ALL my savings." This is absurd, but in line with the outrageous ads run by the building industry in its effort to buy one or more Supreme Court justices.

Some months ago a paid initiative solicitor was outside my local post office and when a middle-aged woman in front of me signed the petition on her way out, I asked her, "Do you think this would affect you?" She didn't have a clue, but fear and the deceptive way this is being presented could mean that the majority of voters will give a free ride to 213 families and take $102.5 million from state education programs. If so, all taxpayers will have to make this up, for the funds are needed for education.

It is not unreasonable to tax the estates of 213 deceased citizens. Even though few families will benefit from this initiative, if it passes, the Committee to Abolish (the estate tax) is asking for contributions from the public since their "expenses will be $1,000,000 to 1,500,000 to accomplish this task." This is less than 1 percent of the savings these 213 families would realize. I suspect most of them are sending in contributions and are behind this action. I hope the voters will see through this self-centered appeal and turn it down.

Goal is to curb onerous limits on private property Initiative 933, the fairness for property owners initiative, has been getting a lot of negative press; but it's evident that a lot of detractors have not actually read its language. It will not change already existing zoning and it will not lead to a monstrous glut of ugly industrial developments.

I-933's intent is to curb the increasingly onerous, senseless and intrusive restrictions that in many cases have rendered the term "private property" almost meaningless. Property owners pay taxes on the whole of their property; they have a right to the maintenance, enjoyment and use of the whole of their property according to the zoning and use conditions in effect when they bought it. If government infringes on this right, the owner must be compensated.

Critics cry that I-933's passage will lead to huge government budget deficits. But that assumes that government will continue unabated in its bureaucratic regulatory restrictiveness. The point of I-933 is to force government to respect private property rights, and the hope of I-933 supporters is that there will be vastly fewer instances of government usurpation of these rights.

Farmland zoning regs could be at risk It is easy to sympathize with the plight of farmers who feel they should be compensated for regulations that affect a portion of their farmland use. But I-933 is a vague, poorly written initiative that will, in the long term, cause far more problems for farmers than solutions.

If I-933 passes, farmland zoning regulations that keep farmland all over Washington state from being developed could be at risk. The commercial value of agricultural land would inflate its price to such a degree that new farmers will not be able to afford the land to grow fresh, local produce. This would adversely affect our ability as a community to keep our food source local in the future. The best way to contribute to the future of local farming is to buy as much of our food as possible from local farmers. Let's not pass an initiative like I-933 that puts our farmland at greater risk.

Wasted billions would be better spent on pensions The obvious way to solve the pension funding crisis is to stop spending billions on terrorism (war on Iraq and Afghanistan) "no-bid" contracts and tax breaks for people who have more money than they need for several lifetimes.

Without these needless drains on the federal budget, there would be plenty of funding for health care for pensioners and workers alike. But the obvious solution requires integrity and political will. It's much easier to pit new hires against pensioners (having union members vote to cut pension benefits to fund raises for current workers), slash funding for public health, schools, transit, environmental protection, etc.

It's a rare politician who doesn't go for the brain stem with a simple scare message, i.e., "tough on terror!" instead of facing the real lunacy wrought by the megalomaniacs in the "other Washington."